U.S. patent application number 11/319921 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-18 for apparatus and methods for testing acoustic probes and systems.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sonora Medical Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to James M. Gessert, G. Wayne Moore, William H. JR. Phillips.
Application Number | 20060101896 11/319921 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33299542 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060101896 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gessert; James M. ; et
al. |
May 18, 2006 |
Apparatus and methods for testing acoustic probes and systems
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for testing an acoustic
device that has multiple transducing elements adapted for
conversion between acoustic and electrical signals. An electrical
transmission signal is generated. The electrical transmission
signal is transmitted to a selected transducing element. An
electrical received signal is received from the acoustic device. A
reference signal is generated. A capacitance associated with the
selected transducing element is determined from the reference
signal. Operational characteristics of the selected transducing
element are diagnosed from the determined capacitance and the
electrical received signal.
Inventors: |
Gessert; James M.; (Colorado
Springs, CO) ; Phillips; William H. JR.; (Samamish,
WA) ; Moore; G. Wayne; (Lyons, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP
TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER
EIGHTH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-3834
US
|
Assignee: |
Sonora Medical Systems,
Inc.
Longmont
CO
|
Family ID: |
33299542 |
Appl. No.: |
11/319921 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10426137 |
Apr 28, 2003 |
|
|
|
11319921 |
Dec 27, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
73/1.82 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 8/58 20130101; G01N
2291/014 20130101; A61B 8/4444 20130101; G01N 29/4436 20130101;
G01N 2291/106 20130101; G01N 29/2487 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
073/001.82 |
International
Class: |
G01V 13/00 20060101
G01V013/00 |
Claims
1.-13. (canceled)
14. Apparatus for testing an acoustic device having a plurality of
transducing elements adapted for conversion between acoustic and
electrical signals, the apparatus comprising: a transmitter adapted
to generate an electrical transmission signal; a relay element
adapted to route the electrical transmission signal to a selected
transducing element; a receiver adapted to receive an electrical
received signal from the acoustic device; and a waveform generator
adapted to generate a reference signal with which a capacitance
associated with the selected transducing element may be
determined.
15. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising a
computational unit configured to diagnose operational
characteristics of the selected transducing element from the
determined capacitance and the electrical received signal.
16. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein the electrical
received signal corresponds to an acoustic signal converted from
the electrical transmission signal and reflected from a target.
17. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein the transmitter is
adapted to generate the electrical transmission signal in the form
of a voltage pulse.
18. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising an adapter
adapted to interface between the relay element and the transducing
elements, the adapter having a multichannel switch.
19. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein the waveform
generator is adapted to generate the reference signal in the form
of a linear voltage ramp signal.
20. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein: the selected
transducing element comprises a piezoelectric crystal; and the
waveform generator is adapted to generate the reference signal with
a frequency less than a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric
crystal.
21. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein the selected
transducing element comprises a plurality of selected transducing
elements.
22. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable
program embodied therein for directing operation of an apparatus
including a transmitter, a relay element, a receiver; a waveform
generator, and a computational unit, wherein the computer-readable
program includes instructions for operating the apparatus to test
an acoustic device having a plurality of transducing elements
adapted for conversion between acoustic and electrical signals in
accordance with the following: generating with the transmitter an
electrical transmission signal; transmitting with the relay element
the electrical transmission signal to a selected transducing
element; receiving with the receiver an electrical received signal
from the acoustic device; generating with the waveform generator a
reference signal with which a capacitance associated with the
selected transducing element may be determined; and diagnosing with
the computational unit operational characteristics of the selected
transducing element from the determined capacitance and the
electrical received signal.
23. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22
wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for
generating the electrical transmission signal in the form of a
voltage pulse.
24. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22
wherein the apparatus further includes an adapter having a
multichannel switch, the computer-readable program further
including instructions for transmitting the electrical transmission
signal through the adapter.
25. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22
wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for
generating the reference signal in the from of a linear voltage
ramp signal.
26. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22
wherein: the selected transducing element comprises a cable
connection, the capacitance deriving at least in part from a cable
capacitance of the cable connection; and the computer-readable
program includes instructions for diagnosing operational
characteristics by determining that the capacitance arising from
the cable capacitance is a fraction of an expected value.
27. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22
wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for
diagnosing the operational characteristics by: determining that an
amplitude of the electrical received signal is substantially zero;
and determining whether the capacitance is consistent with an
expected value.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to the following concurrently
filed, commonly assigned U.S. patent applications, the entire
disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety: "APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TESTING ACOUSTIC SYSTEMS,"
by James M. Gessert et al. (Attorney Docket No. 40100-000200US) and
"APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR INTERFACING ACOUSTIC TESTING APPARATUS
WITH ACOUSTIC PROBES AND SYSTEMS," by James M. Gessert et al.
(Attorney Docket No. 40100-000300US).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This application relates generally to acoustic probes and
systems. More specifically, this application relates to apparatus
and methods for testing acoustic probes and systems.
[0003] Acoustic imaging techniques have been found to be extremely
valuable in a variety of applications. While medical applications
in the form of ultrasound imaging are perhaps the most well known,
acoustic techniques are more generally used at a variety of
different acoustic frequencies for imaging a variety of different
phenomena. For example, acoustic imaging techniques may be used for
the identification of structural defects, for detection of
impurities, as well as for the detection of tissue abnormalities in
living bodies. All such techniques rely generally on the fact that
different structures, whether they be cancerous lesions in a body
or defects in an airplane wing, have different acoustic impedances.
When acoustic radiation is incident on an acoustic interface, such
as where the acoustic impedance changes discontinuously, it may be
scattered in ways that permit characterization of the interface.
Radiation reflected by the interface is most commonly detected in
such applications, but transmitted radiation is also used for such
analysis in some applications.
[0004] Transmission of the acoustic radiation towards a target and
receipt of the scattered radiation may be performed and/or
coordinated with a modern acoustic imaging system. Many modern such
systems are based on multiple-element array transducers that may
have linear, curved-linear, phased-array, or similar
characteristics. These transducers may, for example, form part of
an acoustic probe. In some instances, the imaging systems are
equipped with internal self-diagnostic capabilities that allow
limited verification of system operation, but do not generally
provide effective diagnosis of the transmission and receiving
elements themselves. Degradation in performance of these elements
is often subtle and occurs as a result of extended transducer use
and/or through user abuse. Acoustic imaging devices therefore often
lack any direct quantitative method for evaluating either system or
probe performance. Users and technical support personnel thus
sometimes use phantoms that mimic characteristics of the object
under study to provide a qualitative method for evaluating image
quality and to perform a differential diagnosis between the system
and the transducer array, but this technique is widely recognized
to be of limited utility.
[0005] There is, therefore, a general need in the art for apparatus
and methods for testing acoustic probes and systems.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In embodiments of the invention, a method is provided for
testing an acoustic device that has a plurality of transducing
elements adapted for conversion between acoustic and electrical
signals. An electrical transmission signal is generated. The
electrical transmission signal is transmitted to a selected
transducing element. An electrical received signal is received from
the acoustic device. A reference signal is generated. A capacitance
associated with the selected transducing element is determined from
the reference signal. Operational characteristics of the selected
transducing element are diagnosed from the determined capacitance
and the electrical received signal.
[0007] The electrical received signal may correspond to an acoustic
signal converted from the electrical transmission signal and
reflected from a target. The electrical transmission signal may
comprise a voltage pulse. In one embodiment, transmitting the
electrical transmission signal comprises routing the electrical
transmission signal through a relay element configured for
selective routing from a channel to a plurality of channels. The
electrical transmission signal may be further routed through an
adapter having a multichannel switch.
[0008] The reference signal may comprise a linear voltage ramp. In
one embodiment, the selected transducing element comprises a
piezoelectric crystal and the reference signal is generated with a
frequency less than a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric
crystal. For example, the reference signal may have a frequency
less than 100 kHz or may have a frequency less than 10 kHz. In
another embodiment, the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric
crystal is between 2 and 10 MHz and the reference signal has a
frequency between 0.5 and 1.5 MHz.
[0009] The capacitance information provides various diagnostic
capabilities. For example, in one embodiment, the selected
transducing element comprises a cable connection and the
capacitance derives at least in part from a cable capacitance of
the cable connection. Diagnosing the operational characteristics
comprises determining that the capacitance arising from the cable
capacitance is a fraction of an expected value. In another
embodiment, diagnosis comprises determining that an amplitude of
the electrical received signal is substantially zero and
determining whether the capacitance is consistent with an expected
value.
[0010] These methods may be embodied on apparatus for testing the
acoustic device. A transmitter may be provided to generate the
electrical transmission signal. A relay element may be provided to
route the electrical transmission signal to the selected
transducing element. A receiver may be provided to receive the
electrical received signal from the acoustic device. A waveform
generator may be provided to generate the reference signal with
which the capacitance associated with the selected transducing
element is determined. In addition, in some embodiments, a
computational unit may be provided to diagnose the operation
characteristics of the selected transducing element from the
determined capacitance and the electrical received signal. In other
embodiments, an adapter may be provided to interface between the
relay element and the transducing elements, the adapter having a
multichannel switch.
[0011] The methods of the invention may also be embodied in a
computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program
embodied therein for directing operation of the apparatus. The
computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the
apparatus to test an acoustic device in accordance with the
embodiments described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the
present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining
portions of the specification and the drawings wherein like
reference numerals are used throughout the several drawings to
refer to similar components.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a block-diagram representation of an arrangement
used for testing an acoustic probe in accordance with embodiments
of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a probe geometry
that may be tested with embodiments of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a block-diagram representation of a computational
unit on which methods of the invention may be embodied;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a receiver unit
used in embodiments of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 5A is a circuit diagram illustrating a capacitance
circuit used in embodiments of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 5B illustrates a ramp profile for a pulse used by the
waveform generator of FIG. 5A;
[0019] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate series and parallel tuning
arrangements of an acoustic probe;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating methods for testing an
acoustic probe in accordance with embodiments of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of an acoustic element
that may be diagnosed in accordance with embodiments of the
invention;
[0022] FIG. 9 is a block-diagram representation of an acoustic
system that may be tested in accordance with embodiments of the
invention;
[0023] FIG. 10 is a block-diagram representation of an arrangement
used for testing an acoustic system in accordance with embodiments
of the invention;
[0024] FIGS. 11A and 11B are flow diagrams illustrating methods for
testing an acoustic system in accordance with embodiments of the
invention;
[0025] FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of an adapter used by
test arrangements in embodiments of the invention;
[0026] FIGS. 13A and 13B are circuit-diagram illustrations of
switch configurations that may be comprised by the adapter
illustrated in FIG. 12;
[0027] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating methods for testing
an acoustic probe or acoustic system in accordance with embodiments
of the invention;
[0028] FIG. 15 is a block-diagram illustration of an arrangement
used for testing a multiplexing acoustic probe in accordance with
embodiments of the invention; and
[0029] FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating methods for testing a
multiplexing acoustic probe in accordance with embodiments of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. Introduction
[0030] Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus and methods
for testing acoustic probes and systems. Such acoustic probes and
systems are sometimes referred to herein collectively as "acoustic
devices." While much of the discussion below specifically discusses
apparatus and methods that are suitable for testing ultrasonic
probes and systems, this is intended merely for exemplary purposes
and the invention is not intended to be limited by the operational
frequency characteristics used by the tested probe or system. As
illustrated in further detail below, each of the acoustic probes
and systems that may be tested with embodiments of the invention
includes a plurality of "transducer elements," which refers to
elements adapted to transmit acoustic radiation and/or to receive
acoustic radiation. While such elements are referred to generically
herein as "transducer elements," reference is sometimes also made
herein to "receiver elements" and to "transmitter elements" to
distinguish them on the basis of their functions. Methods of the
invention diagnose operation of the probe or system through
sequential activation of the component transducer elements. In the
case of a probe, such sequential activation may be initiated
externally while in the case of a system, such sequential
activation may use a natural operational cycling of the system.
[0031] For example, testing of an acoustic probe in embodiments of
the invention may be performed by placing the probe in a test
fixture in an acoustically conductive medium with a specular
reflector provided at a substantially uniform distance to all of
the transducer elements. Conveniently, the acoustically conductive
medium may comprise water in an embodiment. The array of
transducing elements comprised by the probe are then activated
sequentially so that acoustic radiation is transmitted through the
acoustically conductive medium towards the specular reflector.
While the sequential activation may take place by activating
transducing elements individually, this is not a requirement, and
sequential activation may alternatively be performed simultaneously
with a subset plurality of the transducing elements. Reflections
from the specular reflector are digitized, and perhaps also
amplified, for evaluation of the activated transducing elements.
Selective activation of the transducing elements may be coordinated
by a relay matrix that selectively establishes operational
connections with the transducing elements.
[0032] Testing of an acoustic system in embodiments of the
invention may be performed with a similar relay matrix for
selectively establishing operational connections with channels
comprised by the acoustic system. Connections may be established
sequentially with the channels, either individually or in groups.
This permits evaluation of a transmitter circuit comprised by the
acoustic system as it is connected through each channel. In
addition, scattering operations may be simulated electronically for
each channel by transmission of an echo signal through the
sequential connections. Operation of a receiver circuit comprised
by the acoustic system may thus be evaluated through evaluation of
image data produced by the acoustic system in response to the
simulated scattering operations.
2. Acoustic-Probe Testing
[0033] An overview of embodiments of the invention suitable for
testing an acoustic probe is provided with the structural diagram
of FIG. 1. Testing of a probe may use signals generated by a
transmitter 124. In one embodiment, such signals are generated to
provide a broadband pulse that excites all of the transducer
elements comprised by the probe in a substantially similar manner.
For example, the signal may comprise a voltage pulse. In a
particular embodiment suitable for testing many commercially
available acoustic probes, the signal comprises an approximately
40-ns pulse at a magnitude of about 75 V, which provides {tilde
under (>)}25 MHz bandwidth.
[0034] The signal generated by the transmitter 124 is routed to a
selected one or subset group of the transducing elements for
conversion into an acoustic signal by a relay matrix 108 and an
adapter 104. In cases where a signal is routed simultaneously to a
subset group of the transducing elements, the subset group may
correspond to a group of neighboring transducing elements. The
relay matrix 108 comprises a bidirectional switching array capable
of establishing the desired connections. It is generally desirable
for electrical characteristics of the relay matrix not to impact
the evaluation of the transducing elements. Accordingly, an array
of miniature relays may be preferred in some embodiments over
semiconductor-based switching integrated circuitry to limit
capacitive and resistive loads. The relays may be arranged in
groups to limit the number of traces that may be active at any
given time. In addition, a regular circuit topology may be used to
keep the electrical load substantially constant. In one embodiment,
a correction factor determined uniquely for each element may be
used to further reduce measurement errors that may be associated
with electrical loading associated with the relay matrix.
[0035] The relay matrix 108 may be considered to perform a mapping
from one channel that corresponds to the transmitter 124 to a
plurality of channels that are in communication with the adapter
104. The adapter 104 itself may be configured in accordance with
characteristics of the probe to be tested, allowing connectivity
between the relay matrix 108 and probes from a variety of different
manufacturers. In some embodiments, the adapter 104 is configured
to provide a 1:1 mapping from transducing elements of the probe to
channels of the relay matrix 108. Thus, for example, if the probe
has 192 transducing elements, the adapter 104 may map each of 192
channels from the relay matrix 108 to one of the transducing
elements. In other embodiments described in further detail below,
the adapter 104 is configured to provide different schemes for
mapping channels from the relay matrix 108 to transducing elements
of the probe.
[0036] During testing, the probe may be secured within a holder 120
adapted to maintain a fixed distance of each of the transducing
elements from the acoustically reflective target 116, the assembly
of holder 112 and target 116 being denoted generically with
reference numeral 120. The holder 120 may also be equipped with
adjustment capabilities, permitting, for example, the angular
orientation of the probe to be adjusted as desired. In some
instances, the reflective target 116 may comprise a flat surface,
but in other instances, the shape of the target 116 may mimic a
shape of the probe to compensate for positions of the transducing
elements according to the probe shape. This is illustrated is FIG.
2 for a probe 200 that has a curved tip. The curvature of the probe
tip is compensated for by a curvature of the reflective target
116', the curved portion of the probe tip and the reflective target
116' having a common center of curvature 204.
[0037] The transducing elements of the probe act to convert the
signal generated by the transmitter 124 into an acoustic signal
that is reflected from the target 116. The reflected acoustic
signal is received by one of the transducing elements of the probe
and converted into an electrical signal, which is routed back
through the adapter 104 and relay matrix 108. The converted signal
is received by a receiver 136, which may include an attenuator to
reduce pulse amplitude, and transmitted to an analog-to-digital
converter 140. In one embodiment the receiver has an output between
0 and 1 V and has a 1-dB bandwidth of about 10 MHz. The
analog-to-digital converter 140 may advantageously be adapted to
accommodate high sample rates in order to accurately sample the
acoustic signals. In one embodiment, the analog-to-digital
converter 140 is adapted to accommodate sample rates of at least
100 MHz. At such a rate, at least ten samples may be retrieved per
cycle on a 10-MHz probe. In some instances, the analog-to-digital
converter 140 may additionally include a video-frame-capture
capability to permit capturing of an ultrasonic image for further
use as described below. The output of the analog-to-digital
converter 140 is routed to a computational unit 132 for analysis
and/or display, in some instances through an intermediary
first-in-first-out ("FIFO") memory 144 to account for the high
speed of the analog-to-digital converter 140.
[0038] The computational unit 132 may comprise any device having
processing capability sufficient to analyze data received from the
analog-to-digital converter 140 in accordance with embodiments of
the invention. For example, the computational unit 132 may comprise
a personal computer, a mainframe, or a laptop, whose mobility makes
it especially convenient. The dashed lines in FIG. 1 illustrate
that, in addition to receiving data for analysis, the computational
unit 132 may be configured to control each of the components
comprised by the testing apparatus.
[0039] FIG. 3 provides a schematic illustration of a structural
arrangement that may be used to implement the computational unit
132. FIG. 3 broadly illustrates how individual elements of the
computational unit 132 may be implemented in a separated or more
integrated manner. The computational unit 132 is shown comprised of
hardware elements that are electrically coupled via bus 326,
including a processor 302, an input device 304, an output device
306, a storage device 308, a computer-readable storage media reader
310a, a communications system 314, a processing acceleration unit
316 such as a DSP or special-purpose processor, and a memory 318.
The computer-readable storage media reader 310a is further
connected to a computer-readable storage medium 310b, the
combination comprehensively representing remote, local, fixed,
and/or removable storage devices plus storage media for temporarily
and/or more permanently containing computer-readable information.
The communications system 314 may comprise a wired, wireless,
modern, and/or other type of interfacing connection and permits
data to be exchanged with external devices as desired.
[0040] The computational unit 132 also comprises software elements,
shown as being currently located within working memory 320,
including an operating system 324 and other code 322, such as a
program designed to implement methods of the invention. It will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations
may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example,
customized hardware might also be used and/or particular elements
might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable
software, such as applets), or both. Further, connection to other
computing devices such as network input/output devices may be
employed. Connections between the computational unit 132 and the
various components of the testing apparatus may use any suitable
connection, such as a parallel-port connection, a
universal-serial-bus ("USB") connection, and the like.
[0041] An explicit example of a circuit structure that may be used
for the receiver 136 in one embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 4. In
this example, the receiver 136 comprises an attenuator 412 to
reduce pulse amplitude and provide input protection for the
receiver as well as a variable-gain amplifier 404. A typical range
for the variable-gain amplifier 404 may be -20 to +60 dB, although
a narrower range, such as +6 to +30 dB may be adequate for testing
many commercially available probes. The variable-gain amplifier 404
may be controlled by the computational unit 132, with a
digital-to-analog converter 408 being used to convert instructions
from the computational unit 132. In one embodiment, the
variable-gain amplifier 404 is configured such that a linear change
in voltage corresponds to a logarithmic change in gain.
[0042] The configuration described in connection with FIGS. 1-4 is
sufficient in many instances to permit a diagnosis of
transducing-element operation in acoustic probes. For example,
receipt of a signal during cycling through the transducer elements
when correlated with a time of interrogation indicates that a
specific element is functioning correctly, while failure to receive
a signal indicates that that element is not functioning correctly.
In several embodiments, this information is augmented by analyzing
the capacitance of elements in the system to provide additional
useful diagnostic information. The capacitance analyses make use of
a waveform generator 128, also shown in FIG. 1 as being under the
control of the computational unit 132.
[0043] A circuit structure of the waveform generator 128 is
illustrated for a particular embodiment in FIG. 5A. A waveform is
generated digitally by a counter 504, with the waveform having a
variation in voltage .DELTA.V over time .DELTA.t, thereby defining
a capacitance C .ident. i ( .DELTA. .times. .times. V / .DELTA.
.times. .times. t ) . ##EQU1## The waveform is converted with a
digital-to-analog converter 508 and amplified with an amplifier
512. The waveform is transmitted onto the channel 524 that feeds to
the relay matrix with a source resistance 520 used to drive the
probe and with an instrumentation amplifier 516. A suitable value
for the source resistance 520 in a particular embodiment is
approximately 10 k.OMEGA.. While the invention is not limited to a
specific shape for the capacitance-defining waveform, it may
conveniently take the form of a linear ramp function 532 such as
shown in FIG. 5B, thereby providing a constant capacitance. Merely
by way of example, the voltage increase of the waveform could be
.DELTA.V=4.096 V over a time period of .DELTA.t=409.6 .mu.s,
thereby providing a capacitance of C=i/10.sup.4 F.
[0044] For the simplest probe structure, the capacitance of each of
the transducing elements may thus be determined during
interrogation of that element by generating the waveform and
measuring the resulting current i. In some instances, this method
may be complicated by a probe structure that provides an additional
significant source of capacitance. In particular, each transducing
element may comprise a piezoelectric crystal used to perform
electrical-acoustic conversions. The probe may supply energy to
each such piezoelectric crystal with a coaxial cable that has an
intrinsically high capacitance. Accordingly, such probe
manufacturers often use a tuning circuit to tune out the
capacitance of the coaxial cable and thereby permit effective
energy coupling into the piezoelectric crystal. Any suitable tuning
circuit known to those of skill in the art may be used, such as
with a standard second-order tuned circuit. The tuning circuit
typically comprises an inductive element, which may be provided in
series or in parallel with the piezoelectric crystal. Methods of
the invention may account for the specific configuration of the
tuning circuit in different embodiments.
[0045] The electrical structure of a series-inductor tuned probe
604 is illustrated in FIG. 6A. Energy is coupled into the
piezoelectric crystal 610 comprised by each transducing element
with a coaxial cable 608. The circuit for tuning out the
capacitance of the coaxial cable 608 comprises an inductive element
612 provided in series with the piezoelectric crystal 610, and may
also include a resistive element (not shown), usually provided in
parallel with the piezoelectric crystal 610. Testing of such a
series-inductor tuned probe 604 may thus be performed in a manner
similar to that used for an untuned probe. In particular, the
waveform generator 128 may provide a low-frequency waveform, i.e.
such as on the order of less than 10 kHz or less than 100 kHz
depending on the embodiment, and the resulting current i measured.
The capacitance is then determined from the ratio of the current i
to the time rate of change of voltage in the waveform.
[0046] Use of such a low-frequency waveform may be less effective
for a parallel-inductor tuned probe 606 such as illustrated in FIG.
6B. In this instance, the tuning circuit comprises an inductive
element 612' provided in parallel with the piezoelectric crystal
610', and may also include a resistive element (not shown), usually
also provided in parallel with the piezoelectric crystal 610'. With
such an arrangement, a low-frequency waveform on the order of less
than 100 kHz results in a small inductive reactance. Accordingly,
in some embodiments, a higher frequency is used for the waveform.
This frequency is chosen to be outside the active range of the
piezoelectric crystal to avoid spuriously interfering with the
operation of the probe, such as below a resonant-frequency range of
the piezoelectric crystal. For example, if the piezoelectric
crystal has a resonant frequency in the range of 2-10 MHz, which is
common for ultrasonic applications, the frequency of the waveform
may be in the range of 0.5-1.5 MHz, such as at approximately 1.25
MHz.
[0047] Methods that may be used by the arrangements described in
connection with FIGS. 1-6B to test the operation of a probe are
thus summarized with the flow diagram of FIG. 7. While the flow
diagram is provided with a specific ordering, it will be
appreciated that there is no requirement that this ordering be
followed. In alternative embodiments, functions may be performed
simultaneously even if they are shown separately in FIG. 7, and may
be performed in a different order than the specific example shown
in FIG. 7. At block 704, the method begins by selecting a first
transducer of the probe to be interrogated. The selected transducer
may be selected according to a routing defined by the relay matrix
108 and coupled operationally to the selected transducing elements
through the adapter 104. This routing is used to transmit an
electrical transmission signal generated at block 708 and a
reference waveform generated at block 712 to the selected
transducing element. The transducing element acts to convert the
electrical transmission signal to an acoustic transmission signal
at block 716. After the acoustic transmission signal is reflected
from the target at block 720 and received at block 724, it is
converted to an electrical received signal.
[0048] This same procedure is performed sequentially for each of
the transducing elements. This is indicated at blocks 732 and 736
where a check is made whether all transducing elements have been
interrogated, and the next transducing element being selected if
they have not been. Once interrogation of all the transducing
elements comprised by the probe has been completed, the collected
data are analyzed to diagnose whether any of the transducing
elements is failing to operate within normal parameters. A
comparison of the amplitudes of the received signals at block 740
provides a broad measure of whether there is a defect associated
with any of the transducing elements; this is usually indicated by
lack of a received signal, which identifies a corresponding defect,
although a substantially reduced amplitude may also provide a
similar indication.
[0049] More detailed diagnostic information is provided by a
comparison of capacitance associated with the interrogation of each
of the transducing elements with the reference waveform, as
performed at block 744. The diagnostic value of such capacitance
determinations may be illustrated with some examples, which are
provided herein merely for illustrative purposes and are not
intended to limit the scope of the invention; other diagnostic
capabilities resulting from the capacitance determinations will be
evident to those of skill in the art after reading this
description.
[0050] A first example may be understood with reference to FIG. 8,
which provides a schematic illustration of a structure that may be
used for one of the transducing elements 800. The transducing
element comprises a backing 816 over which the piezoelectric
crystal 812 is provided. An acoustic lens 804 provided over the
piezoelectric crystal 812 provides electrical isolation of the
piezoelectric crystal 812 and acoustic impedance matching. A defect
in the operation of the transducing element 800 may result from
different types of conditions that may be discriminated by the
capacitance determinations. For example, the defect may result from
delamination of the acoustic lens 804 from the piezoelectric
crystal 812. This condition is manifested by lack of an electrical
received signal concomitant with substantial matching of the
capacitance of the particular transducing element with the
capacitance of fully functioning transducing elements. The defect
may alternatively result from cracking or other damage to the
piezoelectric crystal 812. This condition is manifested by lack of
an electrical received signal concomitant with a failure of the
capacitance of the particular transducing element to match the
capacitance of fully functioning transducing elements.
[0051] In another example, the capacitance determinations may be
used to identify defects associated with the coaxial cables used to
couple energy to the respective piezoelectric crystals. The
capacitance determination is a particularly useful discriminant for
such defects because it is approximately proportional to the
distance along the cable where the defect occurs. Thus, if
interrogation of a particular transducing element results in no
capacitance, the respective cable may not be connected with that
transducing element. If interrogation of that transducing element
results in a capacitance that is half what is otherwise expected
for a properly functioning transducing element, the respective
cable may be broken or otherwise damaged approximately halfway
along the length of the cable.
3. Acoustic-System Testing
[0052] Embodiments of the invention may be used for testing the
operation of a variety of different acoustic systems. These
embodiments are illustrated with a type of acoustic system shown
schematically with the structural diagram of FIG. 9, although it
will be evident to those of skill in the art after reading this
description that the methods and apparatus of the invention may
alternatively be used for operational diagnosis of other types of
acoustic systems. The components shown for the acoustic-system
structure in FIG. 9 are shared by a large number of different
acoustic systems, although specific systems may have these
components organized differently.
[0053] The acoustic system 900 includes a multichannel interface
902 that is in communication with receiver 904 and transmitter 908
components. The receiver 904 and transmitter 908 are configured for
conversion between electrical and acoustic signals so that
investigation of an object may be performed by irradiating the
object with the acoustic signals but performing analysis with the
electrical signals. Thus, the receiver 904 may include components
that convert acoustic signals to electrical signals while the
transmitter 908 may conversely include components that convert
electrical signals to acoustic signals. Generally, each of the
receiver 904 and transmitter 908 are configured with multichannel
capacity. The receiver 904 may be provided in communication with an
amplifier 912 and analog-to-digital converter 916 to accommodate
acoustic signals that may be attenuated after scattering by the
object by amplifying and digitizing the converted electrical
signals. Thus, after digitization, differences between the received
and transmitted electrical signals provide information derived from
scattering of the corresponding acoustic signals from the
object.
[0054] The multichannel information provided from the multichannel
interface 902 is accommodated by a receive beamformer 920 and a
transmit beamformer 924, each of which is respectively configured
for adding contributions from a plurality of elements comprised by
the receiver and transmitter elements 904 and 908. The receive and
transmit beamformers 920 and 924 include array phasing capability
to be applied respectively for the received and transmitted
signals. The acoustic system 900 may include a capacity for
displaying an image, which is typically viewed by an operator
trained in evaluating acoustic images so that features of interest
in the object, such as medical pathologies in an organ, may be
identified. The image is generated by a scan converter 932 provided
in communication with the receive and transmit beamformers 920 and
924 and transmitted to a display 928 for rendering.
[0055] The testing methods and apparatus provided by embodiments of
the invention may be used to diagnose the operational behavior of
acoustic systems such as that described in connection with FIG. 9.
In particular, embodiments of the invention permit defects to be
identified in the operation of individual receiver and transmitter
elements. Such defects are often not immediately apparent in the
image provided on the display 928 because the image is derived from
multiple elements. Nevertheless, the absence of information from a
defective element may result in subtle distortions of the image
that may lead to incorrect analyses of the object under study. An
overview of embodiments of the invention suitable for testing the
acoustic system 900 is provided with the structural diagram of FIG.
10. Similar to the apparatus used for acoustic-probe testing, the
acoustic-system testing apparatus includes a relay matrix 108'
adapted to perform signal mapping from one channel to a plurality
of channels in communication with an adapter 104'. For
interrogation of channels within the system, a multichannel
connection interface 1016 may be provided between the adapter 104'
and the acoustic system 900.
[0056] In one embodiment, the natural cycling of the acoustic
system 900 through its multiple channels is used to evaluate
operation of transmitter elements. Signals generated by elements of
the transmitter 908 are collected by the adapter 104' through the
connection interface 1016 and provided to the relay matrix 108'.
The relay matrix 108' is configured for discrimination of
individual channels received from the adapter 104' in the same
manner described above for probe testing. Signal corresponding to
the selected channels are provided to an analog-to-digital
converter 1032, perhaps after attenuation and/or amplification by
an attenuator 1034 and/or amplifier 1028. The digitized signals are
provided to a computational unit 136', which thus systematically
identifies whether a signal has been received from each of the
transmitter elements comprised by the acoustic system 900.
[0057] In another embodiment, operation of the receiver elements
may be evaluated by providing synthesized echo information back
into the acoustic system 900. In response to a transmit signal
received by the adapter 104' from the acoustic system 900 through
the connection interface 1016, a trigger generator 1020 activates
an echo synthesizer 1024, which generates a signal to be routed
back into the acoustic system 900 for receipt by the receiver 904.
Specific channels corresponding to different elements comprised by
the receiver 904 are selected according to a configuration of the
relay matrix 108' and the echo signal output from the relay matrix
108' is transmitted with the adapter 104' to the acoustic system
900. In this way, the echo signal is directed to a specific element
comprised by the receiver 904, causing a dot to be displayed on the
display 928 for each beam that that element is used on. A defective
channel may thus be characterized by the absence of an expected
line on the display. Such absence may be identified by a human
operator, although in other embodiments a frame-capture device is
interfaced with the video output to detect the presence or absence
of lines automatically. In an alternative embodiment, Doppler
information may be analyzed to identify defective channels. The
relay matrix 108' may be cycled through each of the channels
corresponding to all elements comprised by the receiver 904 to
evaluate the operation of each of those elements. The components of
the acoustic-system testing apparatus may be controlled by a
computational unit 136' in a similar fashion to the control
provided for the acoustic-probe testing apparatus.
[0058] FIGS. 11A and 11B thus provide flow diagrams to summarize
methods that may be used for testing an acoustic system in
accordance with embodiments of the invention. FIG. 11A provides a
flow diagram for testing operation of a transmitter comprised by
the acoustic system by using the natural cycling of the acoustic
system through different transmission channels. Thus, at block
1104, the acoustic system activates a first of a plurality of
transmitter elements comprised by the transmitter as part of such
cycling. At block 1108, the transmission signal generated by the
activated transmitter element is received. A check is made at block
1112 whether all of the transmitter elements have been activated,
i.e. whether a full cycle of the acoustic system has been
completed. If not, the method waits for the acoustic system to
activate the next transmitter element at block 1116 so that the
transmission signal for that transmitter element may be received.
After at least one full cycle has been completed, a comparison is
performed of the amplitude of the different transmission signals.
Absence of a signal or other significant deviation of the amplitude
of the signal from the amplitude of the other signals is indicative
of a defect associated with the corresponding transmitter
element.
[0059] FIG. 11B provides a flow diagram for testing operation of a
receiver comprised by the acoustic system by using the
echo-synthesis components described above. In this instance,
systematic interrogation of channels in the acoustic system is
coordinated externally. Thus, at block 1124, the first channel to
be interrogated is selected. An echo signal is generated at block
1128 and transmitted to the acoustic system at block 1132. Display
data corresponding to the echo signal is captured at block 1136,
with the method looping as indicated at blocks 1140 and 1144 until
all channels have been interrogated. At block 1148, defective
receiver elements are identified from image data generated by the
acoustic system, such as by identifying the presence or absence in
the image data of lines corresponding to specific receiver
elements.
[0060] In some embodiments, a capacitance analysis may be added to
the methods described above for testing an acoustic system. Such an
analysis may be performed in a manner similar to that described
above for acoustic-probe testing by configuring a waveform
generator to supply a waveform that may be used to determine the
capacitance of the transmitter and/or receiver elements. Knowledge
of the capacitance may be used as described above to limit the type
of defect identified more narrowly.
4. Adapter Configurations
[0061] There are a variety of different adapter configurations that
may be used in different embodiments of the invention, some of
which are described in detail herein. According to one embodiment,
illustrated in FIG. 12, the adapter 104'' includes internal
switching capability in the form of an internal N-channel switch
1204. Inclusion of such capacity provides an economical way of
increasing the channel capability of the testing apparatus.
[0062] Merely by way of example, consider the case where the
testing apparatus is to be used to test a 192-channel probe or
system. In such instances, interfacing the 192 channels through the
adapter with the relay matrix 108'' may be accomplished with, say,
a 260-pin zero-insertion force ("ZIF") connector 1208. Such
connectors are readily available commercially at reasonable cost
and have sufficient numbers of pins to accommodate the 192 channels
as well as power connections, ground connections, computer
connections, and the like. If the testing apparatus is then to be
used to test a 256-channel probe or system, the capacity of the
connector 1208 is insufficient. Replacement of the 260-pin ZIF
connector with a larger connector greatly increases the overall
cost of the apparatus and makes inventory control difficult because
such larger connectors are considerably more costly and have poor
distribution availability.
[0063] These disadvantages are avoided by including the N-channel
switch 1204 in the adapter. Referring again to the example above, a
256-channel probe or system may be tested with the apparatus even
with a 260-pin ZIF connector 1208 since some of the mapping of
channels may be performed by a 64-channel switch 1204. In the case
of a probe test, the imposed interrogation channel may be selected
by a combination of routing through the relay matrix 108'' and the
N-channel switch 1204. In the case of a system test, use of the
natural system cycling may similarly be accommodated by a
combination of routing through the relay matrix 108'' and the
N-channel switch 1204.
[0064] There are a variety of configurations that may be used to
implement the N-channel switch 1204. For example, FIG. 13A
illustrates an embodiment in which a plurality N of single-channel
switches are used directly to implement the N-channel switch 1304,
with one terminal of each of the single-channel switches being
connected together electrically. In another embodiment, illustrated
in FIG. 13B, single-channel switches are electrically connected in
a tree arrangement to form the N-channel switch 1308. The tree
arrangement defines banks of single-channel switches such that at
any time no more that one bank is active. For example, banks may be
provided that have only sixteen, eight, or some other appropriate
number of single-channel switches. Although the total number of
single-channel switches in such an embodiment may be greater than
N, this configuration limits the capacitance associated with the
adapter 104, which might otherwise interfere with the capability of
the testing apparatus to make accurate measurements. The tree
arrangement is thus particularly useful in embodiments where
capacitance determinations are used as part of the acoustic probe
or system diagnosis.
[0065] FIG. 14 provides a flow diagram that summarizes how use of
an adapter comprising an N-channel switch may be integrated into a
method for testing an acoustic probe; it will be evident to those
of skill in the art that it may similarly be integrated into a
method for testing an acoustic system. In this embodiment, the
adapter 104'' may substitute for the adapter 104 in FIG. 1. At
block 1404, a first channel is selected for interrogation. The
electrical transmission signal to be used for the interrogation is
generated at block 1408. The electrical transmission signal is
routed to the selected channel through a combination routings
through a relay matrix and a switch in the adapter respectively at
blocks 1410 and 1412. A transducing element comprised by the
acoustic probe that corresponds to the selected channel converts
the electrical transmission signal to an acoustic transmission
signal at block 1416. After the acoustic transmission signal has
been reflected from a target at block 1420, it is received at block
1424 and converted to an electrical received signal at block 1428.
Data are collected in this manner by interrogating all channels of
the probe, as indicated with the looping blocks 1432 and 1436, so
that a comparison may be made of the relative amplitudes of the
received signals at block 1440 to analyze the operation of the
probe as described above. The order of the blocks presented in FIG.
14 is intended to be exemplary and not limiting; other orders for
the functions described may alternatively be used without exceeding
the intended scope of the invention. Furthermore, other diagnostic
aspects may be incorporated into the method described with respect
to FIG. 14, such as the use of capacitance determinations described
previously.
[0066] In another embodiment, an adapter may be provided for
methods and apparatus used in testing a multiplexing acoustic
probe. As used herein, a "multiplexing acoustic probe" refers to an
acoustic probe that is equipped with internal switching capability
to allow the probe itself to map a greater number of transducing
elements on the probe to a smaller number of channels. Such a
multiplexing capability permits the internal switching capability
to act as a surrogate for a larger number of channels that need be
accommodated on a nonmultiplexing acoustic probe with the same
element capacity. The structure of such a probe is illustrated
schematically in FIG. 15, which shows more generally how
embodiments of the invention may be used to test the operation of
such a probe.
[0067] The multiplexing acoustic probe 1504 includes a switch
matrix 1508 that performs the mapping from the input channels onto
the greater number of transducing elements. In addition to an
interface 1512 for communicating information over the input
channels between the switch matrix 1508 and an adapter 104''',
interfaces 1516 and 1520 may be included for providing
switch-selection information from the adapter 104''' to the switch
matrix 1508 and for providing power from the adapter 104''' to the
switch matrix 1508. As in other embodiments, the adapter 104''' is
provided in communication with a relay matrix 108''' configured to
route signals selectively to perform methods of the invention.
While for convenience only the adapter 104''' and relay matrix
108''' are explicitly shown in FIG. 15, the apparatus may
additionally include other components described in connection with
FIG. 1.
[0068] FIG. 16 provides a flow diagram illustrating a method for
testing a multiplexing acoustic probe in accordance with an
embodiment. At block 1604, a first transducing element comprised by
the multiplexing acoustic probe is selected for interrogation. The
electrical transmission signal to be used for the interrogation is
generated at block 1608, and is routed to the selected transducing
element. Such routing may be performed in part by the relay matrix
108''' and in part by the adapter 104''' if it is equipped with
internal switching capability. In addition, the routing to the
selected transducing element is performed at least in part by the
switch matrix 1508. This may include transmitting switch-selection
information to the switch matrix 1508 at block 1612, providing
power to the switch matrix 1508 at block 1620, and then routing the
electrical transmission signal through the switch matrix 1508 at
block 1624. The selected transducing element responds to the
electrical transmission signals by converting it to an acoustic
signal at block 1628 that may be reflected from a target at block
1632. After receiving the reflected acoustic signal at block 1636,
it is converted to an electrical received signal at block 1640.
This technique is used to collect data corresponding to all the
transducing elements of the multiplexing acoustic probe, as
indicated by blocks 1644 and 1648, allowing a comparison of
relative amplitudes to be made at block 1652 to analyze the
functionality of the transducing elements. The functions
illustrated in FIG. 16 are not exhaustive, nor is the order in
which they are presented necessary. For example, other diagnostic
aspects may be incorporated, such as the use of capacitance
determinations described previously, and the order of the functions
may be changed without exceeding the intended scope of the
invention.
[0069] It is evident that the methods and apparatus described above
provide specific information regarding the characteristics and
behavior of individual acoustic probes that may be collected by the
computational unit. This information may be used to define a
probe-identification catalog so that automatic probe identification
is performed when the apparatus is connected with the probe.
[0070] Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized
by those of skill in the art that various modifications,
alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without
departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the above
description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the
invention, which is defined in the following claims.
* * * * *